Slide 1

 
StreetCare Localism Seminar 

Yate Outdoor Sports Complex

20th Feb 2014

6:00pm - 9:00 pm

Safety Information

Welcome 
 
Councillor Claire Young 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Localism in South Gloucestershire 

    ����the devolution and the fundamental shift of power to councils, communities, neighbourhoods and individuals. Empowering local people to come together to take more responsibility for their community��

                SGC Localism Framework

Timetable 

6:30–6:40 pm Welcome and Introduction 
  Cllr Claire Young 

6:40–6:55 pm Project Background & Consultation Exercise 
  Mark King, Head of Street Care and Transportation 

6:55-7:25 pm Parish Service Choices and Delivery from April 2014 
  Simon Spedding, Group Manager, Design & Ops 
  Gary Meddick, Assistant Operations Manager 
  Michael Dixon, Localism Project Engineer 

7:25–7:45 pm Refreshments and Networking 
 

 

Timetable (cont) 

7:45–8:00pm Equality Impact Assessment

                Daniel Wood, Corporate Equalities Officer 

8:00–8:15pm Parish Mapping Data

                Darren Davison, Programme and Asset Coordinator 

8:15–8:45 pm Customer Enquiries, Website Development and Project   Publicity

                Dominic Moody, Senior External Communications Manager

                Nina Deverell, Project Manager – Transformation and   Efficiency 

8:45–9:00 pm Conclusion/Questions/Networking opportunity

                Mark King – Head of Street Care and Transportation

Project Background and Consultation 
 
Mark King 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Our approach to localism 

Localism in South Gloucestershire has been the subject of extensive engagement over the past two years, resulting in the following process: 

What are we talking about? 

• Street scene is the environment that we see and experience when travelling through and along our streets and public spaces
• We are talking about highway services.  
  We are not looking at public open space
• Providing and maintaining assets that are fit and safe for purpose and encourage community use
• How local communities can influence and have a greater say in the services they receive within the resources available

Why are we doing this? 

• Give communities more control over the services they receive and support localism
• Provide value for money and contribute to council savings
• Focus on the services the council must provide to meet its obligations
• Tackle the current differing levels of service throughout the area

 

Services affected by these changes 

The following services are affected by these changes:

• grass cutting of highway verges
• maintenance of roundabouts
• maintenance of shrub beds on the highway
• weed spraying
• provision and maintenance of floral displays on highway land
• provision and maintenance of hanging baskets
• provision of dog bins including maintenance and emptying
• fly posting and graffiti inspections and removal

 

Future service delivery options 

Each area will be able to choose from the following:

• The core service standard (default)
• Buy back service from StreetCare
• Provide the service through local parish or town council staff
• Provide the service through another supplier or contractor
• Licence to maintain given to a parish or group
• Transfer of assets (excluding land or buildings)
• Service transferred (delegated) to parish or town council

The core service standard 

In future, our core service standard for highways will be to:

• inspect, maintain and repair the highway network, keeping road, footway and cycleway surfaces, streetlights, traffic signals and road signs in a safe and usable condition
• maintain grass on highway land including verges and roundabouts to a highway standard, maintaining visibility and ensuring public safety and to undertake a programme of regular inspections and maintenance to manage trees within the highway boundary safely
• undertake a programme of regular inspection and maintenance of highway structures, drains and street furniture (bollards, benches, road name signs, etc) to ensure that they are safe and to minimise flooding
• ensure the area is kept clean and free from litter, weeds, graffiti, fly posting and fly tipping
• respond to emergencies and other incidents to minimise damage, maintain safety and keep the network moving
• provide a winter maintenance service to keep the highway network clear of snow and ice

Implications and considerations 

• What service delivery option is best for you?
• Contracting considerations
• Competency, skills, training and equipment
• Service specification and standards
• Client and inspection responsibilities
• Liabilities, insurance and indemnity
• Health and safety, risk management and business continuity
• Service enquiries and complaints

 

Parish information packs 

Each parish received the following information:

• Maps showing the extent of highway grass, litter and dog bins and floral displays & hanging baskets
• Data table listing provision of assets and sites affected
• Current cost of service provided and future core service standard
• Buy back service menu including indicative costings
• Customer information about the number of service enquiries and customer importance and satisfaction information (to follow)
• Strategic and operational framework including service delivery considerations
• Copies of consultation documents

The consultation process

Parish Service Choices and Delivery from April 2014 
 
Michael Dixon 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Parish Service Delivery and Choices 

• Parish Meetings
• Range of choices made
• Buy Back
• Core Service
• Core Service plus
• Third Party Contractor
• Transfer of Service
• License to Maintain
• Individual Agreements
• Unparished Areas - Core Service

 

Dog Bin Service 
 

• Service Continuity
• Service Rationalisation
• Third Party Emptying and Disposing
• Commercial Waste
• Waste Carriers Licence
• Dual Usage Litter Bins

Parish Service Delivery and Choices 
 

• Service Documentation
• Issued to all Parishes and then discuss applicable elements and clarification
• Contract
• Service Specification
• Published Routines
• Equality Impact Assessment
• License to Maintain
• Finalising Discussions and Details and issued in March

 

Parish Service Choices and Delivery from April 2014 
 
Simon Spedding 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Any questions?

Parish Service Choices and Delivery from April 2014 
 
Gary Meddick 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Health & Safety in Grounds Services

What Everyone Should Consider 

• Who is responsibility for H&S?
• If you intend to complete the work yourself, then you have complete responsibility.
• If you employ a third party you are responsible for ensuring their compliance with H&S.
• Ignorance is no excuse

 

Hot Topics 
 

1. Safe Working on Slopes
2. Noise & Vibration
3. Use of Pesticides

 

The above list represents only a fraction of H&S issues but theses are all topical and numerous on highway landscapes.

 

SLOPES: Manufacturer Recommends:  
 
                         DO NOT USE ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 15�� 
                         MUST NOT BE USED ABOVE 20⁰ 
 

15⁰

The village green too steep to mow: Council 'won't risk' work on 25-degree tilt 

Ref: The Daily Mail 10^th May 2011

This is the consequence of risking it.  
Workman fighting for life after being crushed by mower that toppled over as he rode it  

Ref: The Daily Mail 19^th June 2012

One recent prosecution at Bristol CC 

• The 51 year-old worker, from Bristol, who does not wish to be named, broke her pelvis and badly damaged an achilles tendon in the incident in Netham Park, Bristol on 30 May 2012. She remained off work for a year but has since returned and is undertaking an office job.
• Bristol City Council, was fined a total of £20,000 and ordered to pay £4,700 in costs after admitting two breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
• Bristol City Council had inadequate systems in place to ensure operators were suitably trained in the use of this equipment and failed to identify the need for a suitable seat restraint.

 

Noise & Vibration 

• Almost two million people at risk in the UK
• Reported Cases of Hand Arm Vibration rising
• Rise in civil Claims
• LA being targeted (No win No fee, councils seen as easy target)

 

Wirral Council recently fined £25,000 plus cost after golf course workers suffer Hand Arm Vibration

 

We routinely ask ourselves these questions 

• ARE we monitoring HAVS?
• Is our vibration data current?
• Have we assessed workplace Noise levels?
• Are our control measures adequate?
• Are our control measures up to the task?

 
 

DO You?

Use of Herbicides to control weed 

The use of herbicides in grounds maintenance has to be controlled

• For Operator Safety
• For Public Safety
• Environmental Issues and Control

 

Herbicides What We Consider 

• Training and competence of operators, supervisors, contracts managers, specifiers and advisors?
• Product selection and approval?
• Storage, handling and disposal?
• Assessing risks to human health and the environment?
• Risk Mitigation
• Record Keeping (legal requirement)
• Ability to confidently handle complaints related to pesticide use.

 

Highway and General Safety  
 

We Ensure – Do You

• That machinery and the use of it, complies to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
• That ride-on mowers are road legal (lights, indicators & display current disc)
• That you comply with HMRC rules regarding fuel for road vehicles
• That your vehicles comply with current and future traffic management legislation. (Traffic Management Act, traffic signs manual chapter 8, sections 05.1 General, 05.2 Conspicuity  & 05.3 Beacons)

 

USFUL LINKS 

• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203670/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-08-part-02.pdf
• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4388/safety-street-works-code.pdf
• http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000164&propertyType=document
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RiZGS2VI9mc
• http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/bristol-city-council-prosecuted-after-worker-thrown-from-tractor/
• http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm
• http://www.amenityforum.co.uk/

 

Any questions?

 
 
 
Refreshments 
 
Demo of Mapping System on Request 
 
Reconvene at 7:45 pm

Equality Impact Assessment 
 
Daniel Wood 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

The Equality Act - Public Sector Equality Duty 

The Equality Act 2010 sets out the Public Sector Equality Duty.  This Duty requires all public bodies, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to:- 

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010;

• Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; 
  

• Foster good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. 
  

 

The Equality Act 2010 requires all Parish, Town and Community Councils to meet the General Equality Duty

 

Meeting the Duty in Practice 

• Evidenced consideration to be taken of how your activities meet the three aspects of the General Duty.

• Ensure activities do not discriminate against any equalities group(s).   
  

• Amend activities where there may be potential for discrimination or unfair treatment. 
  

• Amend activities to ensure greater equality of opportunity for all in instances where this can be achieved. 
  

 

Equalities Issues to be Aware of 

Disability 

• Some Disabled People may be more disadvantaged by a change in the provision of dog bins as those people with assistance dogs would clearly require the provision of appropriate information regarding how to handle dog waste should no dog bins be available or relocated to a different position.

• It is advised that Parish and Town Councils keep this issue under review. 
  

• Take appropriate minutes in order to evidence your consideration of this issue and any issues emerging on an on-going basis. 
  

Equalities Issues to be Aware of 

Procurement 

• Satisfy yourselves that any third parties which exercise functions on your behalf are:
• capable of complying with the Equality Duty
• required to comply with the Equality Duty
• that they comply the Equality Duty in practice
• This means that:
• Contractors should be required to show how they would comply with the Equality Duty should they be successful in being awarded any contract.
• Contracts for the delivery of services contain adequate equalities provisions.
• Continually monitor the equalities-related performance of any contractors in order to ensure and evidence that the Equality Duty is being delivered in practice.

Support 

• The Council will be writing to all individuals on the Local Authority VI Register and has liaised with Disability groups across South Glos. To provide information.

• Bespoke equalities session(s) can be delivered for you. 
  

• South Gloucestershire Council Annual Equalities Reports (2011/12 & 2012/13) 
  

• South Gloucestershire Council Equalities in Procurement Guidance 
  

• Census Information 
  

 

Any questions?

Maintained Land Asset Data  
 
Darren Davison 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

The Data and Storage 

• Stored Spatially (Mapping System)
• Areas separated into service provision
• Helpdesk access to the digital plans
• Web forms linked to digital plans

 

What does it hold? 

• Site Name/Code
• Size of Area
• Service Provision Type
• Parish
• Maintenance Regime
• Colour Coded

 

Example Screen Shot

Plans For Operations Staff

Dog Bins 

• Plotted Spatially
• Ownership
• Litter Bins – Plotted Spatially
• Frequency Emptying
• Parish
• Helpdesk Access

 

Plans - Dog Bins

Thank You  
 
Any Questions 
 

Customer Enquiries 
 
Nina Deverell 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Customer enquires 

• We are changing the way we handle contacts from the public for areas affected by Localism 
  
• Currently we take any enquires/requests and pass them through to StreetCare to action.  Last summer there were 642 grass cutting requests across the whole authority (open space and highways), this was out of 370,000 calls and 65,000 visits to the One Stop Shops 
  
• In future if the service is being provided by the Parish we will sign-post the caller or web user to the appropriate Parish Council.

So how will this work? 

Regardless of method: 

• Web
• Phone
• One Stop Shop 
  
• We aim to plot all requests on a map����.so if a customer requests some grass to be cut��..

Enter the location 

When the map appears pin a flag to identify the exact location

Core service only 

Under the  South Glos Council��s Localism agenda this area will receive a core grass cutting service.  We aim to cut the grass twice a year once in May/June and again in August/September subject to weather conditions. 

Link to more information on localism.

 

Complete take-on of the work 

• Under the  South Glos Council��s Localism agenda work for this area has transferred to the Parish Council

• Please contact your Parish Council directly with any queries 
  
• Link to parish contact details
• Link to more information on Localism

 

Core service and third party 

• Under the  South Glos Council��s Localism agenda this area will receive a core grass cutting service.  South Glos Council aim to cut the grass twice a year once in May/June and again in August/September subject to weather conditions 
  
• Other works are the responsibility of the Parish Council, please contact the parish directly 
  
• Link to parish council contact details.
• Link to more information on localism.

 

Buy back option 

• Provide more detail of the location
• Details of the issue
• Customers details: name, address, phone no, e-mail
• Case is logged and job created in the back office system
• Job allocated to a StreetCare operative

 

Dog bin problem 

• Customer enters the location on the map
• This shows the dog bins in the area

 

Enter the location 

Dog bins are displayed

Drop the pin on the bin

Dog bin requires emptying or is damaged 

Parish maintained:

The maintenance for this dog bin is the responsibility of the Parish, please contact the appropriate parish 
Link to parish contact details 

Service bought back from South Glos Council:

1. Customers details: name, address, phone no, e-mail
2. Case is logged and job created in the back office system
3. Job allocated to a StreetCare operative

The dog bin is missing 

• Under the  South Glos Council��s Localism agenda dog bins are being removed.  Dog waste can be wrapped and placed in litter bins or should be taken home and disposed of in your black bin 
  
• Some Parish Councils have taken on the maintenance of the dog bins themselves which is why there still are some still in use across the authority
• Link to more information on Localism
• Link to parish Council contact details

Thank you for listening 
 
Any Questions?

Public Information and Communication 
 
Dominic Moody 
 

Localising Services in South Gloucestershire

Aims 

• Help embed changes through clear and accurate information for the public
• Explain context for changes: transformation and localism
• Promote understanding of new roles and responsibilities
• Promote participation in local decision-making

Messages 

• Localism, transformation and new relationship between council and local communities
• Core standard of mandatory services
• Opportunity for community to play greater role in enhanced services
• Dog waste – responsible ownership

Channels 

• Website
• Corporate contact centre
• South Glos News
• Local press and case studies
• Social media
• Events and briefings
• Poster campaign (dog waste)

 

Dog fouling

New web pages 

• ��Landing page�� at www.southglos.gov.uk/streetscene
• Core Standard page
• Enhanced services page
• ��Area�� pages
• Detailed FAQ

Next steps 

• Update/populate area pages
• News release with case studies late March
• Increased social media activity
• South Glos News late March
• Text for parish newsletters

Mark King 
 
Thank you 
 
Any questions?